John After The War
by Meracis
Summary: This book is a Romance novel with a JohnXCortana base. It takes place right after Halo 4 when he is removing his armor and goes on for time past that. Obviously i have tweaked the story in the sake of the JohnXCortana aspect. Anyway please check it out i will update per WEEK at least. :)
1. Chapter 1 John After The War

**John After The War**

**JohnXCortana Story**

**This is the first story I have ever written in my life for this purpose. Of course there have been school reasons but I have never done this and I am curious to see the reviews/favs etc. Anyway try to not be too hard on my Halo knowledge I know quite a lot but I'm still new to it. Anyway this story takes place at the end of Halo 4 when master chief is taking off his armor. Except in my story Cortana will NOT die because I feel as if that was a bummer for me. And don't worry! There will be action scenes just bare with me I must setup the story somehow! Anyway without further ado here it is!**

**Chapter 1: The End of the War and the Beginning of New Possibilities. **

The Master Chief or as his friends know him, John had just finished possibly the final battle of his military career…... But he knew that was not true nor will it ever be. He was a Spartan. A human being born and bred for fighting and surviving. After fighting the Didact and saving the world once again he assumed there would be a welcome home gathering when he left the pelican him and his most valued companion were on. Cortana had saved him in the past and he had saved her so some would consider them 'even' but neither thought of it that way. Back in space while battling the Didact Cortana had cloned herself multiple times to save her teammate John. She eventually ended up putting him inside a box of energy to protect him as he made his way to a position to be picked up. But at the last second she warped herself into one being and joined John on his journey. At first the Chief thought he had lost his 7 year companion. He knew in the back of his mind that the years he spent idling in the Forward Unto Dawn remains Cortana had begun her symptoms of rampancy. All AI's went through this but Cortana was a special case. She was considered a smarter AI than usual so she managed to make it 1 year before giving in to the inevitable fate she was forced to confront. So John realized the end was near and she had made the ultimate sacrifice to save him. Yet somehow he sensed her presents in the box he was inside. Then all of the sudden he felt the cold sensation of an AI entering his MJOLNIR armor. He was shocked and surprised at first and then he realized it was his wonderful teammate and friend Cortana. "Cortana come in are you there?" she soon answered "I'm here Chief" he instantly felt overjoyed with happiness that his companion had not paid the ultimate sacrifice to save him. They soon arrived near a station that a few ODST's had taken refuge on. He was contacted "Unidentified object come in" he answered "This is Spartan John-177 requesting transport" "Master Chief?! Right away sir!" Cortana snorted and said "I guess they thought we wouldn't make it…." John replied "They know Spartans never die…" Cortana then finished "They only go missing." A pelican transport arrived and took them to the spaceport nearest to them. They then boarded different transport and began their journey to the Chiefs home world….Earth. They arrived and the first thing chief said was "I haven't eaten in probably 4 years. What do you say we grab something to eat?" Cortana giggled and answered "I believe you have earned a good meal but first why don't we get that armor off you!" Chief grunted at the thought of him walking in a café in the MJOLNIR armor everyone recognizes as Master Chief Savior of the human race. He and Cortana headed to the Spartan base as they made small talk "So John what do you plan on doing now that the war is over?" He replied in his baritone voice "I'm not sure really….I obviously won't be able to work in an office due to the fact the only official classification I have is a License to Kill…." Cortana let out a soft laugh "I trust that the Military will provide you with enough cR to live for the rest of your life without lifting a-" Cortana was then cut off by a group of ODST walking by who instantly recognized the chief giving him many compliments and thanks for his work in the war effort. The Chief wasn't for all the praise he got in public. He was just a soldier who fought in the war but seemed to be very gifted in his line of work. They arrived at the Spartan bay with a few more encounters from civilians and ODST and walked their way to Chief's dusty but still functioning part of the bay. As he walked down the hallway many Spartans and doctors recognized him. One of the doctors exclaimed "Master Chief!? It is a honor to have you here would you like me to assist you in your business here?" the chief was about to reply when another doctor said "Psh. Please you know he wants to get Doctor Halsey called down" Chiefs mind instantly clicked at the name "Doctor Halsey is here?" he answered quickly. One of the assistants replied "Yes haven't you heard? Well ill let her tell you the story ill contact her you wish to speak to her and she will meet you at your station. He thanked her and quickly walked to his station while speaking with Cortana on what this could mean. "John…." She said quietly "This….this could mean I won't fall to the fate of rampancy" he thought for a moment and slowly replied "I know Cortana and I will do everything I can to assure that you never face that fate." Cortana instantly felt emotion welling up within her as she realized how great their partnership has grown over the years. Cortana and John had discussed this when he awoke on the Forward Unto Dawn. When Chief retrieved her from the computer on the ship and inserted her into his helmet he instantly felt something different about her and he tried to speak to her about it but she refused to open up about it. Later when they were on the planet of the Prometheans and the Didact she finally admitted that she was starting to experience what all AIs do. Rampancy. Chief's mind fought against the thought of hopelessness as he accessed all the possible options they had for the situation. At first he thought that there was nothing he could do but then Cortana reminded him of their roots. They were both basically created by Doctor Halsey and she could maybe extend Cortana's life span or maybe fix her completely. But the chance of running into the old doctor were so slim…..then he mentally slapped himself in the face. He was talking about Cortana. Cortana the person who had lived alongside him and fought alongside him for 7 years. Cortana the person who saved his life in the Forward Unto Dawn and woke him when the time was finally there to leave that ship and live on. He would do no matter what it takes to fix his friend, even if it took his life. Cortana and John finally arrived at his station and the person standing there brought old memories and emotion into both their minds…..Doctor Halsey casually said "Hello John. Hello Cortana."

**And there we have it! That is the end of Chapter 1. I know this might be a little ruff. But I am new to dialog and this type of writing so I could use advice. If you are reading this the day it came out the next chapter should be out within the next few hours. I plan to make this quite a novel so please keep in touch with it! Until next time ****. **


	2. Chapter 2 John After The War

**Chapter 2: The Beginning of a New Future**

It was all Cortana could do to not burst out in questions in the suspense of the moment. She wanted to know if she could be fixed and she wasn't ready to end her life just yet. She still had so much to live for and look forward to! But she couldn't overwhelm her creator, first Chief still needed to get his armor off and get his well deserved meal. Then Cortana would spring the question she had fretted over for the last 4 years. Chief started the many questions on his mind with "Doctor Halsey how is it that you are here? Cortana and I both thought you had gone missing years ago to covenant." She then replied that her Spartans had broken her out and she was then arrested by an unknown figure that then questioned her regarding the SPARTAN-II Program. She then defended the justifications for creating her SPARTANs, reminding the unknown figure they had in fact saved humanity. The interrogator then referenced to the Spartan-IIs developed sociopathic tendencies. Halsey then realized that her interrogator was looking for a reason to replace John-117. She then insisted that the best of her Spartans (Master Chief) was still alive and that he should not be underestimated. She was then released and went back to work. After they discussed what had happened while they were apart Cortana cleared her throat to bring Chief back to reality of her situation and what he was doing. He then said to Doctor Halsey "I think it's time for me to get this armor off for a while" the Doctor then walked over to the screen taped a few settings then asked Chief to step on the two footprints painted on the floor. Mechanical arms then came down and removed his heavy Spartan armor that had saved his life multiple times one piece at a time. Then all that remained was his helmet. His body was covered by clothing that resembled a wet suit. He then slowly reached his arms up feeling strange without his armor to remove his helmet. Before he took it off he took Cortana's chip out and activated her hologram mode so she could still interact with him and Halsey. Then he removed his helmet making the crowd that had now gathered lean forward in anticipation. His face was covered in a scruffy beard and his hair was quite long. He then stepped off the platform into the light. Cortana had not seem him much without his helmet and it struck her as strange for her to see him as handsome and attractive considering she was merely a AI. His eyes were dark brown and his pupils dilated due to the new light in his face. He then broke the silence that had now built in the room by saying in his deep voice "I think I need to freshen up, then Doctor would you like to come with Cortana and I to get some food?" The doctor agreed to his proposal and led him to a locker room where the Spartans shower and shave. The assistants also gave him a change of clothes consisting of a green t-shirt some blue denim jeans some underwear and socks as well as some tennis shoes. He emerged from the locker room half an hour to an hour later with a freshly shaven face, a buzzed head, and looked like a normal man. Except the fact that he was 7 feet in height extremely muscular and had many scars on his body from his many years in combat. Once again Cortana found herself looking at John in a way she hadn't before. She saw him as a strikingly handsome man despite the scars and stern look on his face. He then said to Cortana and the Doctor both "Ready to grab some grub?" They went to a café that had basically any food the world could offer. For the doctor a simple salad with ranch dressing. As for John he ordered a Cheeseburger and fries. Considering hardly anyone had ever seen Chief with his helmet off no one recognized him. Yet it was hard to not recognize a man of his size and structure. Cortana could no longer contain herself after John and Halsey sat down she appeared as a 6 inch hologram and finally sprung the question she had been waiting to ask. "Doctor Halsey I have something I must ask you" the wise doctor then replied "I know Cortana you wish to know about your options to your situation with rampancy." Cortana did nothing but nod then the doctor said something that caught Cortana completely off guard…. "Cortana we have been researching an alternate fate for AI's who have reached the end of their lifespan. We have found a way to transfer the AI's conscious and mind into a human clone therefore making you a human being." Cortana as well as John had no clue what to say. The Doctor continued the conversation "The process takes a week or so. I must first create the clone which should take 6 or 7 days. Then I must start the transfer which usually takes thirty minutes in most AI's situations. But you are special Cortana. You may take a minute or less to transfer." Cortana instantly said "What would I have to do to get this transformation?" Halsey then said "It cost a total of 5,000,000 cR." Cortana then said "I'm sorry Halsey I have wasted your time. I have no money" choking on the last word in her sadness. She really would have to be shutdown. Then her companion and teammate stopped her sadness in its tracks "Cortana. I will be receiving quite a bit of money within the next few days. I would be more than happy to pay for your transfer if you are sure about this." Halsey then said "That is very considerate and kind of you John." Cortana was overwhelmed with joy, happiness, and hope for her future. Her future! She couldn't believe that in the next few weeks she could become a human! She then remembered her friend John. "John…..I…..thank you so much. If not for you I would be being shut down tomorrow." The big man chuckled "Cortana please. Of course I will do this for you. You are a huge part of my life and I honestly can't think of life without you." Cortana was in her pool of happiness when Halsey said "John I have been told that Lord Hood wishes to speak with you." John assumed that this could be no other than the conversation to decide his future. He told Halsey he will speak with her later on the subject of Cortana and then slipped Cortana's chip into his pocket. He walked slowly to Lord Hood's office. Enjoying peace and no worries. He had attached a device to Cortana's chip known as a Bluetooth allowing him to speak with her through an earpiece while he walked. He could tell Cortana was a bit more hyper than normal but he just chuckled to himself and let her be in her moment of absolute joy. They eventually arrived at the building of where Lord Hood's office is. John walked in closing the door behind him and Lord Hood said "Welcome Chief have a seat!" John took a seat "Thank you sir." Lord Hood then asked many questions about his last battle experience and also about his rescue. After the serious talking was over he then said "Master Chief for your service in the Military for these many years and all your decorations and for saving humanity itself I inform you that 78,567,012 cR will be moved into your funds." "Cortana are you with Chief?" John reached to his pocket and activated her hologram "Yes sir I am here how may I help?" Lord Hood grinned and replied "Cortana you have helped quite enough. I hear you will want to do the human transfer yes?" "Yes sir that's correct" "Well then for your 7 years of service you will be givin a cR balance as well." Cortana couldn't believe her ears she was already thinking of the career choices she could have and she was fretting. Now it seems that she might never have to work! "Lord Hood thank you so mu-" Lord Hood cut in and said "We will also be paying for your transfer completely." Cortana felt tears coming to the surface and she managed to choke out "Sir I…Thank you." John also thanked Lord Hood and was about to leave when Lord Hood asked for him to wait "Master Chief or now I assume you will go by John. Well John we also will be giving you a home in the country with many acres of land to give you peace from trespassers or unwanted visitors. Also we will give you a car for your transport to your new home." "As for you Cortana we have already contacted Halsey and asked her to start on your new body" John then broke the silence "Lord Hood…..Neither of us expected any of this…I think I speak for both of us when I say that you have impacted both our futures more than we deserved. Thank you sir." Lord Hood snorted "Please John don't be modest. You have saved more lives than I could in my lifetime. I should thank you. Now please go start your new life, here is a phone that you may use however you want and we will contact you if we ever need you for emergencies. Master Chief thank you for your service" Lord Hood then saluted and John instinctively replied with a quick salute. Then he left the office and headed to his new car he had just received. Part of Johns training was to master every vehicle known to man. How to control it and know it inside and out. He went outside and followed Lord Hood's directions by going to the parking garage across the road. He went to parking spot 177 and him and Cortana both laughed at the reference to his service tag. His new transportation was primary black and had white racing stripes over the top. Cortana commented "Wow. They didn't hold back on your new car" John raised an eyebrow and clicked it open and got in. They drove in silence to his new home about an hour or so from the city. He pulled into his new neighborhood and his jaw dropped at the sight of 3 giant mansions in the isolated area. Cortana appeared on his car dashboard as a foot tall hologram and was equally surprised at the sight. From what Lord Hood said he remembered that his house number was no other number than 177. John sighed wondering how many more jokes there would be to his service tag. Cortana giggled and found it rather funny. He pulled into his massive homes garage and didn't bother locking his car considering he was away from civilization so far. But he was about to walk in when Cortana interrupted his movement "John don't you think we should meet the neighbors?" "I suppose so I hope they are home." He walked over to the middle house of the 3 mansions and walked up to the massive two door entrance and glanced at the greeting mat. It read "Proud American Lives Here" John grunted wondering at the figure he was about to meet. He rang the doorbell then waited a few minutes before an answer. John and Cortana's mouths both dropped to the figure standing in the doorway. It was Sergeant Avery Johnson in his pajamas and a huge cigar in his mouth as usual. He seemed to not be surprised at all to find a 7 foot tall man of solid muscle standing at his door. All he said is "Are you gonna come in or not?" so John entered the massive building moving into a dining room with a large chandelier and the room smelled of cigar smoke. He gave his old best friend a big bear hug and said "How did you end up here Johnson?!" "Wait for Miranda to get here for supper then I'll tell you" John agreed then realized what was just said and Cortana beat him to exclaiming "MIRANDA?!" Johnson grunted and nodded and walked upstairs to change and called back "There are drinks in the room to your left." John walked into the room and peeked in the fridge and found a few 24 packs of beer. He reached down holding the alcoholic drink trying to remember the last time he had a beer. Cortana then interrupted his thinking "What is that Chief?" "It's a drink called a beer I used to drink them when I was younger." He said as he popped the cap and took a swig. Before he could react to the drink Johnson had reentered the room in a gray t-shirt and jeans "Whens the last time you had one of those?" John answered "I don't know but it's pretty damn good." As he took another swig. Then Johnson said "Follow me I wanna show you my ride" Cortana said "I wonder what it could be…." John said "Probably completely Johnson." Cortana laughed softly then John took off after Johnson to the garage. They got in there and John couldn't hold in his laugh as he looked upon Johnson's vehicles. There were two warhogs with the guns off with a bed in the back instead. Along with four mongooses. Two were blue and two were red. Johnson looked back at him with a grin on his face "So what do you think?" Cortana replied "I think you got what you wanted" all three of them laughed as they went back to the living room as the doorbell rang. Johnson went to the restroom and asked John to grab the door. John walked up to the door and opened it and there stood Miranda Keyes. She walked by him and commented "Hello Chief wow you are just as big outside your suit!"

**Well that's chapter 2! I hope you are enjoying this if anyone's reading. I would like for someone to review so I can hear that someone is in fact reading and I'm not just writing to myself :P. Anyway I'm really enjoying writing this story. And I know that a few facts in this were not exactly correct but I kinda wanted to branch off on my own mind. Like adding in Johnson after he obviously died in Halo 3. He was one of my favorite characters and I share a name with him! **** I am always looking for advice please tell me what I'm doing wrong or what you would like to hear in the future. Next chapter will be up August 9****th**** or 10****th**** till next time**

**~Avery/Meracis**


	3. Chapter 3 John After The War

Chapter 3: A New Life

For supper that night Johnson had anticipated John's arrival so he went to the city and got some burgers and hot dogs for the group to enjoy. They all sat in their shared backyard as Johnson grilled the food everyone began to catch up with each other. "So Chief" Miranda began "I hear you and Cortana took down the Didact single handily." In his deep voice John replied "I was only doing what I do best and I have done for years." Johnson kicked in from the background "You're too damn modest! You have saved humanity what? Three times now?" Cortana commented "Not on his own you know!"  
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"Oh of course Cortana I know you helped just as much!" Johnson replied quickly not wanting to offend her. They small talked for a little while then the food was ready and they all sat down to eat when Cortana said "Man I can't wait till I can enjoy food like this in a week." "Cortana what do you mean you're an AI" Miranda stated. "She is probably getting that new body transfer business, when they can move a AI into a human" Johnson replied. "Yes that's correct Johnson and I can't wait to be able to physically hug all of you for everything you have done to help me."

"Wow! That's amazing! Cortana we are going to have so much to do together!" Miranda said in an excited voice. "I'm very much looking forward to that Miranda" Said Cortana smiling. Johnson grunted "Girls". Chief laughed as he took a drink from his beer. He then commented to Johnson "Haven't those cigars damaged your insides yet Johnson?" "Well" Johnson began as he pulled out another cigar from his unlimited stash "When I got back from the war I went to med bay to get checked out and they told me both my lungs were given out." "So" He said as he pulled out a lighter "They used some of that fancy medical stuff they have now and gave me two new lungs!"

"Two new lungs to ruin" said Miranda. Cortana then said "When I get my new body you won't be smoking around me! I will treat my body like it's made of pure gold." "Speaking of your new body where do you plan on living when you get it Cortana?" Miranda said. "Oh I haven't actually thought of that." Cortana said with a frown. "Well we have three mansions big enough to fit the entire covenant race into so I'm sure you can find a home." Johnson said with a grunt. "Chiefs is the biggest why don't you use one of his many bedrooms?" Miranda offered.

"John is that OK?" Cortana asked. "Of course Cortana" John answered kindly. Over the next week they spent time together almost every day. John often thought back to sharing a home with Cortana but he just thought of it like her being inside his armor like she was the last 7 years. Nothing different. Johnson managed to keep them entertained every night with poker games swimming in their shared pool or going for rides on the mongooses. John couldn't remember the last time he rode on a warthog or mongoose without being shot at. But on the fourth day of his new life John sat down in his massive theater room to watch some TV. He found it very relaxing to be able to just sit and watch for a few hours.

Cortana's hologram also watched with him. Everyday seemed to go by so slow for Cortana because she was going to become human in 2 days! Doctor Halsey called John on his new phone a few hours earlier and John took it out of his pocket and tried to figure out how to answer it. Eventually Cortana just went into his phone and answered for him "Hello?" John said into his phone, on the other end Halsey replied "John? I have good news the clone body for Cortana is coming along very well and will be ready in 2 more days. Now I have to finish making the area for us to enter her chip so it may transfer to the human brain." "Great Doctor thanks for the update we will see you in 2 days" and he ended the call. Cortana had the biggest smile he thought he had ever seen he have when he got off the phone.

The next few days flew by as Cortana's boredom slowly left since she was anticipating getting her new body. Finally the day had come the night before John, Miranda and Johnson had kept to themselves to take a break and Cortana hardly left John alone long enough for him to get four hours of sleep.

At 7:30 AM Cortana was waking John he moaned and turned back over while saying "Cortana shh i'm trying to sleep." Cortana repeated the process over and over and started to get irritated that Chief didn't care enough to get out of bed.

Finally half an hour later John was up and dressed and ready to leave. He had gotten dressed in a navy blue t-shirt and khaki shorts. As John put Cortana's chip into his dashboard they started up a conversation

"By the end of the day i will be sitting next to you in the car." "Yes Cortana I am very happy for you this will be a big change to how we live." "But for the better" Cortana finished. Roughly an hour later they had arrived to the outskirts of the city and were going over the bridge when a car from the other side of the divider jerked across the road slamming into a public bus filled with people.

Cortana gasped as John barely jerked his sports car out of harms way onto the sidewalk. He immediately left the car and rushed to help the victims. He first saw that the car that caused the collision had five passengers. One was a middle aged male and another was a middle aged woman. But as for the other three there were 2 infants twins he assumed and a teenager. The man in the front seat was seemly unconscious and the woman was trying to get her kids out of the back but was trapped by the malfunctioning seat belt.

He sprinted over to the woman and grabbed the seat belt and ripped it out of the car using his massive strength from being a Spartan. After she was free he ran to the mans side unbuckled him and carried him to safety. He then returned to the woman and helped her get her children out. Finally the family of five was out of harms way he went to inspect the bus.

He sensed no immediate danger as he approached the bus. Then Cortana screamed "JOHN WATCH OU-" cut off by an explosion that rocked the bridge itself. Master Chief watched in horror as the public bus full of people exploded. He was then thrown against a taxi ten or so feet away denting the car with his impact. He was knocked unconscious for a few minutes waking to Cortana's voice yelling "John can you hear me?!JOHN!" "Cortana im here, im here" "Oh my gosh John i thought i lost you. I saw the fuel that leaked from the bus ignite but I was too late to warn you." "All those people..." Cortana trailed off on her last sentence.

The fire ships and trucks arrived moments later. But Chief was already gone. He had returned to his car and gone through the traffic slowly continuing on his journey he had first planned. "John...Those people are gone...Do you realize that?" "Yes Cortana i do. But i tried all i could to rescue them and I couldn't. Nothing could have saved them from that fate and i do mourn their lost lives to an accident like that but i am a Spartan and we realize these things happen." Cortana at first thought Chief wasn't being as sympathetic as he should in this situation but then she realized he was right. He was raised to be a warrior and part of being a warrior was death.

They soon arrived at Halsey's office within the next twenty minutes and walked in. Halsey's assistant greeted them with a smile. "Hello Master Chief and Cortana please have a seat and the Doctor will be with you soon. They sat in the small waiting room when they heard the TV "A massive car accident between a families SUV and a public bus happened just moments ago. Lets go to Frank Torrez who is live at the scene." "Thanks Veronica i am here with the mother of the family and she claims that a mysterious friendly giant saved her and her families life." "Thats right Frank a man of a height of probably more than 7 feet ripped the seat belt right out of the car and saved all my family. He was about to go for the bus to save them as well when the explosion of the bus threw him out of my sight. I ran to where i saw him fall but he wasn't there...I only found a large dent in a taxi cab."

"Wow well you heard it here folks this is Frank Torrez here signing off." Cortana appeared next to him "Wow John what you did back there really was something. No one else lifted a finger to help them." "I only did what i do best Cortana." Halsey then entered the room with a large smile on her face "Hello both of you come with me i have something to show you!" "They walked into the back room and found a table with a cloth covering it. But something was obviously under it...Cortana was under it. "Doctor is this my body?" Cortana asked "Yes Cortana this is it would you like to see it?" Cortana nodded furiously with her eyes glued on the table.

Doctor Halsey then walked over to the table and removed the cloth covering the clone. Cortana's new body was basically an exact replica as her hologram image. She imagined it was a younger Doctor Halsey considering Cortana had been created from Doctor Halseys DNA. The body had flawless skin and a normal sized nose, ears, and mouth. The one thing that really stuck out was the clones hair. It had a black primary color with purple lightning bolts moving through it. It was beautiful as well as intimidating.

Cortana's image appeared "Doctor...This is amazing! I can't believe that's me!" "Thank you Cortana i just used your hologram image as a base then added in human features like the brain and organs." Doctor Halsey's assistant Danny commented "Mmmm...I agree very good work Doctor." All of the people in the room gave him a disapproving glance including John.

"Well Cortana im going to extract your chip and insert it into the back of the clones head. How this works is there is a slot which AI's chips are inserted and then i begin the transfer process. The chip then bonds with the brain and human body eventually creating a human brain. There are much more complicated terms but that's unnecessary."

"Doctor i am ready as soon as we can begin" Cortana said eagerly. The Doctor made her way to where Cortana's chip rested when John stopped her "Doctor Halsey is there any risk for this transfer?" The doctor paused where she was as she chose her words carefully. "Test Subject 01" Was her only answer. The other assistants in the room looked at her intrigued. Even Danny managed to pry his eyes off soon to be Cortana to hear further into the subject. "Please continue" John prodded.

"About a year or two ago I began to research this subject after i saw many of the AI's i made in the past fall to rampancy." The Doctor paused with a pained look on her face. "Soon i thought i had the procedure down to a 100% success. I even ran simulations on a program i made for this purpose." A cloud of tension built-in the room as they waited for the Doctor to continue on her story.

"So i made a AI named...Tom for this transfer alone. He was my best work besides you Cortana. I spent months slaving over his chip and his clone. The clone was especially hard for me since it was my first attempt ever. About a half-year later i finished Tom. He was immensely intelligent so i had him run test over the transfer i was going to do on him. He also agreed with me that this procedure was full proof." She paused again gathering her thoughts

"The next day i finished the clone and inserted his chip. I had no clue what to expect. From my suspicions i thought he was going to wake up in the clone as if from a afternoon nap...I was wrong. I initiated the transfer and i saw on my moniter screens that the chip had begun to bond with the body and brain to form a full functioning human body. I waited..and waited minutes turned into hours then i fell asleep and awoke to mumbling."

The suspense to what the doctor was about to say cause a cloud of mixed emotion to fill the room. Everyone was on their toes. Even John. "I rushed over to Toms new bodies side and i asked him if he could hear me. Tom kept repeating "The light...The light is so bright...Return to darkness...Darkness makes me stronger..." then a few minutes later all life left the body. Tom was gone along with all the work i had put into those years preparing for that moment..."

Everyone was still in the room. A mask of emotion threating to take over the Doctor crossed her face. John didn't know what to say. So Cortana said something instead "Doctor when does my transfer begin." everyone's mouth in the room dropped. Except the Spartan who kept his usual stoic countenance. "Cortana.." Halsey began "You know the risk yet you are positive you want to continue?" Cortana nodded "Yes what other choice do i have? I will fall to rampancy within the next few months. Doctor...please start my transfer." As she said those last words she glanced over at her teammate and companion...and best friend. He said nothing but gave her an encouraging nod.

No words were said as the Doctor walked slowly over to the chip removing it and walking over to the clone. Cortana then appeared saying to everyone "See you on the other side." Then the doctor entered the chip and tapped a few times on her screen initiating the transfer. Memories of what happened the first time rushed back to the Doctor but she pushed them away.

Cortana felt nothing. No thoughts no emotion nothing. She was in a dark room on a cold floor. Then a pixellated sun began to rise but the light did not spread. It was as if the light was glowing... She walked towards the light oblivious to how long she was doing so. As soon as she took her first step she started to feel weaker and more...human. She was not thinking straight and immediately took a step back...and another...the darkness made her strong.

**Well guys that's Chapter 3! I know there's a cliff hanger but don't worry i never kill off characters and if Cortana died it would make for a CortanaXJohn novel eh? But i want to thank my first follower/favorite sierra617. Im very happy also to receive reviews thanks to everyone that reads. I already started chapter 4 and by the way i typed this in notepad because i havent had a chance to get microsoft office yet on my new laptop so bear with me on the typos. Anyway dont forget to leave reviews i will reply to everyone thanks again :) til next time**

**~Avery/Meracis **


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